The annual Impact Venture Challenge encourages students to develop and launch a faith-informed business venture that addresses important societal needs.
IVC began in 2015 as a collaborative effort of students and Professor Brian Nejmeh in Nejmeh’s entrepreneurship class. The "Shark Tank"-style competition has provided an opportunity for student-led teams to compete for seed money to start and support their business ventures.
“We had a number of discussions around the topic of how could we motivate students to think more about launching businesses that both made a profit and made a difference in the world,” said Nejmeh. “Our sense was that some type of business plan competition might act as a catalyst for entrepreneurship among Messiah University students.”
Nine years later, The Impact Venture Challenge continues to thrive as a unique opportunity for student entrepreneurship on a college campus.
On April 23, 2024, at 7pm, five student-led teams will have the chance to win $5,000, $3,000 or $2,000 for their new ventures through Messiah University’s Impact Venture Challenge (IVC). The Impact Venture Challenge encourages students to develop and launch a business venture that addresses important societal needs. Students work with faculty members, community mentors, nonprofit organizations, potential investors, and other business leaders who guide them along the way through workshops, presentations, mentoring sessions, among other learning experiences. The competition started with 17 teams, but only five made it all the way to the final presentation. These five teams advanced through the concept overview (round one) and business plan (round two) stages. The five final teams will present their plans to a panel of three judges and a live audience. The judges’ scores and audience vote will combine to select a first, second and third prize winner of the competition.
A very special thank you to our 2024 Impact Venture Challenge sponsors:
